Improved eubber mat



@mungitura gar-tent @Hirst Letters Patent No. 82,647, dated September29, 1868.'

IMPRovRD RUBBER MAT.

dige ttehul referrer tu in ttm ettttt Mutant-tnt making gert nf 1p same.

To wnoM IT MAY coNcRRN;

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. SHEPARD, of New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMats; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of thesame, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometricalperspective view of a mat,constructed in accordance :with my said invention.

Figure 2 is a. sectional elevation of the same on line A B in iig. 1.

Figure 3 is an isometrical perspective view'of a modified form of saidmat.

Figure 4, a section of the' same on line O D in fig. 3. v

The object of my inventi'n is the production of a mat combining theadvantages of an elastic scrapingsurface with the convenience of adetachable receptacle of the mud, dust, and other scrapings.

Rubber mats, as heretofore constructed, consisted of a. cellular gratingmade in one piece with a receptacle or pan, or 'of a pan or receptacleprovided with projecting'studs or points, the latter acting as ascraping-brush.

Th'e objections attending mats; as heretofore'made,'aref First. When thecellular grating is used, it being much thinner` on the upper side thanat the bottom, and also than the receptacle, itis more highly heatedduring the vulcanizing process, and consequently becomes more stili' andbrittle, and is therefore morereadily worn out than the other parts ofthemat. l v

Second. When the points are used, inasmuch as they are exposed to greatexure, unless they are made of very pure and therefore expensive rubber,they will be easily broken o' by the scraping of the feet thereon.

Y Third. In either case the dirt is apt to clog in between theprojecting'pnrtsof the mat, a/.ndxthwndering s the cleaning of the matdiicult, and oftenimpossible, without the aid of water.

These and other objections attending the, old mats are obviated by myimprovement.

To enableothers skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the manner in which the same is or may be carriedinto eil'ect.

The mat is composed 'of two parts, M and P. The former is a cellular webof uniform thickness throughout. I prefer to use hexagonal cells, with aborder of quadrangular cells, the whole being of the usual width andlength.

In connection :with the cellular mat, I use a pan or receptacle,provided with a flange or-border, snugly tting the cellular sheet. Thepan P may be made of rubber, tin, papier-mache', or othersuitablematerial, and its border may or may not project above the upper surfaceof the cellular web.

In figs. 1 and 2, I have shown the cellular web, combined with asnugly-fitting tin pan, the flanges of which i project above the uppersurface ofthe cells, so as to aord an'additional rigidscraping-surface.l

In igs. 3 and 4, a like mat and pan are shown, the flanges of the latterbeing below the surface of the cells.

I have described the mat constructed in a manner I deem mostpracticable, but I would observe that the receptacle need notnecessarily be provided with a flange.v The lcellular rubber web maybexheld to a, tin or other plate by means of two or more projectingstuds or tenons on the plate, tittingltwo or more corresponding cells inthe web, so that the web cannot be moved oif the plate, while thescrapings will remain confined within the cells, provided the rubber weblit tightly on the plate.

Having thus described Patent, isl The combination of a cellular rubberweb whether the same'be Banged or not.

i In testimony whereof, I have signed vmy name to this specificationbefore two subscribing witnesses.v

FREDERICK M. SHEPARD.

my invention, what `I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters substantially as descr-wen, with a detachable plate orreceptacle,

Witnesses:

fR. H. PEAsE,'Jr.,

GrW. FRosr.

